UNC Fall Scrimmage Notes
Patrick Alvarez stays hot, pitching continues to shine
Coming off its 13-inning scrimmage against junior college powerhouse Walters State on Sept. 18, North Carolina returned to intrasquad action Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Boshamer Stadium.
Boshamer Bulletin was on hand for Thursday and Saturday’s scrimmages – the Tar Heels’ fifth and seventh intrasquad exhibitions of the fall. Below are a few notes from both games.
Play of the weekend
Saturday’s scrimmage had all the makings of a pitchers’ duel early, as Will Sandy and Shaddon Peavyhouse allowed only two of the first 16 batters they faced to reach base. But with two outs in the top of the third inning, Patrick Alvarez hit a solo home run off Peavyhouse to left field, giving Navy a 1-0 lead.
Five who stood out
Alvarez: Saturday’s homer was his second in three days, as he also hit a two-run blast Thursday to cap a four-run second for Navy. The third-year sophomore also hit two doubles across both games and is now 8-for-17 with four doubles, two homers and seven RBIs in the five games that I’ve attended this fall.
Johnny Castagnozzi: After getting off to a slow start this fall, Castagnozzi busted out this weekend. The sophomore went 2-for-2 with an RBI double and was hit by a pitch Thursday. He then hit a solo homer Friday and a three-run shot to left-center Saturday.
Davis Palermo: The right-hander appears to have made major strides since the end of last season and seems poised for a breakout year in 2022. After striking out six batters and walking none over three shutout innings Thursday and Saturday, he’s recorded 12 strikeouts compared to just one walk in the six innings that I’ve seen him pitch this fall. He’s allowed one earned run on two hits in that span.
Peavyhouse: Alvarez’s home run proved to be the only hit Peavyhouse allowed in what was otherwise an impressive outing. The right-hander – who transferred to UNC this offseason after four years at Coastal Carolina – struck out five and walked one across four innings. After issuing his only walk to start the second inning, he struck out the next three batters, inducing swings and misses on eight of his last nine pitches.
Sandy: Not to be outdone by Peavyhouse, Sandy allowed just one hit over four shutout innings Saturday, striking out six and walking none. He posted five straight strikeouts between the third and fourth innings. In the eight innings I’ve seen him pitch this fall, the fourth-year lefty has yet to allow a run or issue a walk while striking out 13.
Other observations
Shawn Rapp could have very well been included in the previous section after allowing one hit over three shutout innings Thursday, striking out six and walking one. After giving up a single to the first batter he faced, Rapp was struck in the leg by a comebacker. He still managed to get the out at first, though, and showed no signs of discomfort the rest of the way.
Upon entering Thursday’s game in the top of the sixth, Kyle Mott gave up a single. The next batter hit a line drive back at the righty, but he caught it and doubled up the runner at first. As it turned out, those proved to be the first of six outs that Mott recorded in the frame, as head coach Scott Forbes intervened after the 1-3 double play and told the runner to remain at first with one out. Although the next two batters singled and grounded into a fielder’s choice to score the runner, Mott showed poise under such unusual circumstances, eventually ending the inning with a fly out and a 1-4-3 double play.
The nine pitchers who threw Thursday and Saturday – Caleb Cozart, Mott, Caden O’Brien, Connor Ollio, Palermo, Peavyhouse, Rapp, Sandy and Carson Starnes – walked seven of the 99 batters they faced.
Freshman Vance Honeycutt made a stellar play at shortstop Thursday when he dove to his right to stop a hard-hit ball in the hole, then fired to first base. The batter was initially called out at first on the bang-bang play, and although that ruling was overturned, it didn’t make Honeycutt’s effort any less impressive.
With a few players out due to COVID-19 protocols Thursday, the Navy outfield consisted of Alvarez in left, Will Stewart in center and Hunter Stokely in right.
Stewart joined Alvarez and Castagnozzi with a homer Saturday, hitting a two-run shot to right field.
Among those in attendance Saturday was former UNC pitcher Trevor Kelley, who was in town with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers for a series against the Durham Bulls. Kelley spoke to the Tar Heels after the scrimmage.